Nov. 6, 2004

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Saturday, November 06, 2004) The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will play their first game of the exhibition season when the face Christian Brothers University in the Show Me center on Monday, November 8 at 7:30 PM. The game is the first of two home exhibitions that Southeast will play before they kick-off the regular season against No. 25 Oklahoma University on the road in Norman, Oklahoma.

Women's Head Coach B.J. Smith will attempt to continue his success since taking over at Southeast two seasons ago. He has compiled a record of 35-24 at Southeast and has extended Southeast's streak of consecutive winning seasons to four straight seasons. Most of his success has come at home where he has a record of 21-3, including 11-1 last season, when playing in the friendly confines of the Show Me Center.

Only four players return from a squad that went 16-13 last season and finished fourth on the Ohio Valley Conference regular season with a conference record of 10-6. Senior Chandra Brown (Louisville, KY/Southeastern Illinois CC), a Preseason All-OVC 2nd Team selection, is the lone returning starter from last season, however seniors Miah Shelford (Auckland, New Zealand/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M), Brandi Russia (Cincinnati, OH/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) and junior Tiffanne Ryan (Oklahoma City, OK/Westmoore) all played significant minutes last season and make up a nucleus of a team that looks to finish higher than their predicted finish of fifth in the conference preseason poll.

Smith brings in 11 newcomers, six of which are junior college transfers, as part of a recruiting class that Smith considers one of his best since arriving at Southeast. All 11 players are expected to contribute immediately with Tatiana Conceicao (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Western Nebraska CC) and Natalie Purcell (Auckland, New Zealand/Hutchinson CC) expected to fight for starting spots alongside Brown, Shelford and Russia.

The freshman class is deep with talent and potential and includes prep stand-outs Liz Sharpe-Taylor (St. Louis, MO/Nerinx Hall) and Julie Sweetin (Benton, IL/Benton). Freshman Leanne Evans (Port Moody, Canada/Port Moody Secondary) is a Canadian export that has international competition and is expected to become the next stand-out center at Southeast before her collegiate career ends.

Smith needs 15 wins to reach 50 career victories at Southeast and he hopes to reach that number and then some this season. Monday night, though an exhibition, will be the start of that journey.